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pedalbike2020-11-24 06:53 pm
upcyclingmod) wrote in pedalbike2020-11-24 06:53 pm
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Fourth TDM: Winter's breath
Welcome to the Test Drive Meme.
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As a quick note: This will be the last TDM and Application Round of the year! Have fun everyone!
Not all characters (known as Wickie, singular or Wickies, plural) arrive at the same time, surprisingly enough! That’s life for you. Some Wickies find their way to the island at a pivotal (or very mundane) point in their life, or even after or during their death.
Wickies who were standing or walking often find themselves entering the town South Sister, located on Lighthouse Isle, through an open doorway. Those that were laying down, or sleeping, tend to be found lying prone in beds, bathtubs, showers, couches, and similar places within the cottages on Cottage Row. There’s no rhyme or reason to it all! To Wickies familiar with the era, they will realize that everything looks as if it’s come from the ‘90s.
The house which a Wickie finds themselves within could already be occupied. This includes walking into a fellow Wicke, waking up in the same location, or accidentally scaring a room full of people with their sudden appearance.
Oops.
Start of Winter
Thankfully things have more or less dried out, for the seasons are already changing. Or at least, the weather is, and with it...comes snow.
The grass on the island is covered, various trees lose the last of their leaves, the sand becomes crunchy, and even a portion of the ocean water becomes frozen solid. (Take THAT, water!). And with it, Wickies wake up at their feet (or suddenly in their hands if they don’t sleep) warm clothing and various ways to keep warm- or at least keep the cold from messing with their joints!
And with it, there are snow shovels and boots that are set out neatly by the door. It seems more snowk is expected, and foot protection is more important than ever. While it is possible for some (those who are not infected by the Silence at least) to use the teleporter to get from town to their homes, there are pathways that need to be cleared for everyone.
It might be a good time to offer a helping hand! Especially with some Wickies who are snowed into their homes.
Or it could be a good time to use the shovels to gather snow for snow ball fights, snow forts, and similar winter activities. The nice thing about the winter shovels is that they’ll have them for a few months.
Too bad the ground is nearly frozen solid, and these particular shovels are not good for digging into the ground.
Frosty Protections
While there may be the snow and the quiet that’s coming in, there are other things that are coming into the island too. There are tables that linger day or night, which have tangyuan. Some in the shape of various animals, and some of them that are simply balls of colored dough. They are edible, and thankfully they don’t have a negative consequence to eating them (unlike the mooncakes from before) but there are written instructions, which also proclaim outloud to a Wickie if they linger for awhile:
“For the use of protective talismans! Stick it on your chair, your door, your window!”
Interestingly enough, they do seem to work. Wickies who are Silence infected are repelled by them, feeling uneasy and nauseous around them and touching the tangyuan even with covered hands will cause a burning sensation.
Infected Wickies who eat the treats...they’re in for a rough time. Really rough.
There are also little tables with various drinks, some being fruit juice, sparkling fruit juice, champagne and of similar ilk- but not ever with water. That’s just bad luck after everything.
The inscription for this table, which is again read out loud, “Toast to others health”
Picking up the cups, they will be unable to drop it, and the fluid will refill in the Wickie’s cup until they find someone to toast to- whether it’s in humor or in earnestness.
For the next twelve hours after the toast is made, even if the drink is not drunk after, the Wickie toasted will find they will have better luck in that subject, whether it is in health, love, or friendship, or just in general.
The same applies if Wickies toast together to a group of people as well.
Of hooves and horns
The strangest thing of all isn't the sweet rice balls, nor is it the smell of evergreens heavy in the air. Instead, it's the masks set to everyone, and the ruckus music that thrums through the air, deep into the night.
The masks are of a haggard old woman, well worn and aged, and that of a man with horns and facial hair similar to a goat.
There are different effects when it comes to the masks, both happening at night with the music starts.
Wickies wearing the devilish mask find themselves wearing a ragged fur suit, prancing in the streets, ready to whip other Wickies whose behavior has been suspect or bad as of late. Finding the wicked and punishing them is an impulse, neigh impossible to ignore. And, too, there is a sense of wicked glee when they do punish someone with their reeds and whips. Krampus masked Wickies thankfully can be pacified with rum or brandy. They'll need the help of another to pull of the mask. But once it's off, the costume vanishes, and the chagrin of what happened ( or the satisfaction) follows.
Wickies wearing the woman’s mask will find that they’re not trying to scare people, but instead, they find themselves loping in and out of the crowds, searching, scanning, for certain people, all the while wearing ragged clothing, and often a scarf on their now ratty, graying hair.
It’s with a sickening horror that Wickies will realize there is something in the mask that is watching through the mask itself, and is nodding to itself far away and writing their names on a list.
And it’s not Santa Claus.
The Wickie’s wearing the old woman’s mask can be distracted by scattering seeds or threads in front of them- one inducing a true distraction to count and pick up the seeds, and a rage that comes over that of wasted thread.
Seeds make it easier to pull off the mask, and thankfully popcorn counts as a seed! But thread...well, it is a distraction too, but one that can lead to violent consequences. It might mean some rounds of bait and switching until the mask is taken off.
And that’s when the Wickie who had been wearing the mask realizing the list is of ‘bad’ Wickies, But…
how bad could they be?
Confession network
Yet again, the phone goes off. Doesn’t look like it’s anybody in town, but it’s that weird, cheesy app called The Heart Game. And it’s persistent, too: it doesn’t want to be ignored, making a series of beeps and chirps, much like a pet that wants attention.
The message that pops up is as follows:
We’re back! It’s the time for everyone's favorite game- Confession! So beloved users, our question is:
What do you love about winter? Is it the nip on your nose? The hot drinks? Playing in the snow? Tell us!
002
Mmm.
Does he have a name? Or she?
[She taps her cheek, lost in thought.]
It'll need a nose too. There are carrots at the grocery store nearby...
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Aye, Ma'am!! I haven't decided if it's a he or a she, but I thought of a name!! Rookie Lucky Man!!
( just because the glasses says 'rook'. he has no naming senses whatsoever, and yet he looks so proud of it. embarrassing... please call him out. )
Oh, but if it ends with 'Man' does that make it a he? It's a he, then!
( so haphazard...
but!!! carrots! yes, he was just thinking about that! )
Oh yeah!! Hmm... But don'cha think carrots are too common? How about tomatoes? Grapes? Round noses look cute too, don't they?
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Grape tomatoes even. Those would work for a smile or even as a face blush, but... That name...
...
...
[Snaps her fingers.]
"Rookie Martin."
[like ricky martin, okay sorry for the terribly dated musical artist that a teen like him probably won't know, but STILL it's quite catchy.]
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I see!! That way we can make blushy snowman!!
( you say that but jujukai is a weird canon where yuuji's supposed to be a zoomer but always pulls out millennial jokes so i'll assume he... knows... )
Ro... Rookie Martin?! THAT'S SUPER COOL!!! ( yuuji. yuuji pls. your volume. ) We should get something soccer-y too, then!!!
( he's ready... he's so ready and raring to go like a shibe that wants a walk!! come on come on! let's go!! )
So, so, which way do we go?! I'm kinda new here, actually!
( "kinda". more like super new. )
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[Well, cute, but kinda loud. Monts takes his reaction swimmingly though, smiling all the while. She only frowns lightly afterward as she stands up when she hears that he's a new arrival.]
Oh, you're new? Hm.
[You know, as long as the enthusiasm lasts, she or someone else can save the sobering talk about unsuccessful island escapes later. She gestures towards the direction of Fruits Basket and explains:]
There's a grocery store not too far from here. Do you have something like a credit card on you?
[She fishes out her own card to show it to Itadori.]
You'll be needing this if you want to make any purchases.
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Oh! This? ( he fishes out the card from his pants pocket. ) I found this in my pocket but... can we just use it? Who's paying for us?
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[No worries, Yuuji! We're all just praying this doesn't come to bite us in the ass.
She gestures for him to follow her and she starts off.]
I'll show you around. I've only been here a month, but it's easier to settle in than you'd expect.
Call me Monts by the way. What's your name?
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Awesome, thanks!
( he soon falls in step with her, head busy turning here and there to look at their surroundings in his attempt to remember places as they go, but will always focus back on her when she speaks. )
Monts! I'm Yuuji Itadori! You can call me anything you want.
( he beams at her as he says that, but his mind is busy mulling over what she said. 'easy to settle', huh. easy to settle, but? fushiguro was really upset when he found that yuuji was taken here, too, so there must be something more. maybe something she doesn't know yet, or... which is more likely, just doesn't see the need to warn him yet. and maybe he'll just find out eventually. )
What's everyday here like, Monts? We were supposed to help something... right?
( that's what the note he got on the day he arrived said, at least. "But, this place needs you." his eyes narrow slightly. )
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[She dusts some snow off of her shoulders gently before continuing. Her steps are leisurely and relaxed.]
Oh, but it's definitely dangerous. [Okay, there it is.]
I can't say I'm the most up to date with what the whole deal is here, but I do know that our collective mindset can affect what can occur on this island. For instance, we did have a flood... Thankfully it looks like it never happened.
[Her voice trails off and her thoughts jump around back to his name.]
Yuuji... Itadori...
... YuuYuu. Jitadori. Yuujiji. Dori. Dori...yuu?
[stop her before you end up with something weird]
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he laughs. softly at first, louder and more hearty as she continues making more nicknames up. )
Anything works for me! You can even switch every time if you want, Montsmonts. ( he grins at her mischievously. you get a nickname, too! ) Montsmonts is cute, right? Smontsmontsmonts... it's like some kinda sound effect! But also sounds yummy!!
( it makes him think of floofy things! like marshmallow or cotton candy! )
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[Wow, she likes him a lot already. Usually, she has difficulty dealing with high-energy people, but there's something about Yuuji that makes Monts kind of ok with it?]
I guess if you're thinking about 'yummy' it's because you're thinking of a Mont Blanc cake.
[She holds up one hand to cover part of her face as if she's being secretive and conspiratorial.]
But between you and me, "Monts" is already a nickname. I haven't really told anyone my full name yet.
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( yuuji's seal of approval!! in the form of a thumbs up!! he wouldn't even mind being called bottle cap or whatever... as long as there's love behind it, )
I like Mont Blanc! But I was thinking more of... hmm. Oh, I know! Smores! That's it!!
( crunchy on the first bite, soft on the second! yum!!
he quickly breaks out of his food ponderings when she starts acting sneaky though, immediately leaning slightly closer and dips his head down as he looks around them for any eavesdroppers. once he's sure the area is clear, he nods at her, opening his ears wide to listen to this secret thing she has to share.
at what she said, he dramatically gasps. now it's his turn to put his hand over his mouth as he whispers at her: )
Do I also get to hear your full name too?
( he's pushing his luck here, really, but he won't take it to heart if she says no. they just met, after all!! )
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[Thinking about it... She shakes her head.]
We can save that for later. Who knows though? You might get the top prize by learning it first.
[So she says, but she tends to keep her full name close to her because it's a sign of letting someone past her usual barriers.
They're at Fruits Basket now and she enters, looking around the store to get a glance of what produce is available. She needs to do some extra shopping for the week too.]
Here we are! It's a neat grocery store. We don't know who or how it's restocked, but I tend to find what I need in a pinch. I suggest you stock up on some supplies too. With all of this snow, I don't want to push my luck by keeping a sparse fridge.
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( he smiles wide, slapping his own forehead, but it's like he's expecting the answer from the start. still, the possibility she throws up the air is exciting! it'd be nice if he can. )
Guess that means I gotta work hard!
( flashing a grin her way, he pumps his arms with roaring motivation!!! and then almost hitting the door with his stupid face because he was too focused on her... dumbass. thankfully, he manages to slides over at the very last minute, proceeding to tail her inside the fruits basket. )
Uoooooaaah!! That's one long aisle!
( more like many super long aisles... holy crap. are they even gonna be done looking in a day? two?? he's feeling a little (too much) overwhelmed, but also excited here. he's never seen a grocery store like this before?!? whoa...
for a moment there, he just stares dumbly at everything and anything. it's hard to decide where he wants to start when there's so much. like gojou sensei said, when given too much information people can't do anything. that's yuuji now, with his jaw wide open.
he shakes his head out of it though. )
Ooh, you're right! I probably should go get some ingredients! Maybe I should stock up for a week's worth...
( cuz like. none of his cottagemates really cook. yuuji can't believe, he wonders what they all have been eating all these time... he's gotta take up on this role then, now. rolling up the sleeves of his parka, he starts following monts along, occasionally putting things into his basket. butter, eggs, cheese, milk... so much dairy products, he hopes no one is lactose intolerant. )
.......Seriously?! ( yuuji stops all of the sudden, picking up a colourful packaging. ) I thought we're supposed to be in a different world?! They've got stuff from Japan too?! Export...? ( he looks at it intently, but then gasps as he finds another, picking it up next. ) Deluxe?! Hey, hey Montsmonts, ever tried this before?
( just sliding over at her with the thingo for her to see! come to think of it... where is monts from, he wonders? )
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[Monts lets Yuuji walk ahead of her, blinking when he hits his poor face on the door. She opens her mouth to say something like, "Are you ok?" but he bounces back so quick before she can get a word in and then immediately is awed by all the products.
She exhales lightly as if impressed by how quick he can swerve. Following close behind, she picks up her own groceries for the week (more coffee beans, some orange spice tea, some dairy products, same as him) and pauses as she contemplates some crackers (cheese, cured meats, and cracker plate on the mind here).
When Yuuji brings colorful packages to her attention she blinks again and leans forward to look at them closely.]
I think... Ah, that's right. Aren't those fancy Japanese candy kits?
[She remembers playing with those with the twins during a slow afternoon at the Grind. A quick glance and she picks up a sushi candy kit and shows it to Yuuji.]
I've made this before. Apparently, you can find them at some gas stations in the United States or at least from the coast I'm from.
[Well, that answers that! And Montsmonts... (You know what, she's fine with it)]
I guess it's not that shocking to find this here. There's a ton of instant ramen from different brands on the shelves here too.
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( that... explains! yuuji hasn't really questioned that as they can communicate so normally despite the language barrier, but yuuji's know for sure she isn't japanese, being able to hear bits of english here and there. it's pretty weird how it works here. he scratches his head, wondering if their brains have been implanted with goggle translate. god, he has so many questions! like this automated language translation thing. or what does she think about these snacks? and why specifically gas stations?!
except they all get dropped when monts points another thing out. )
Seriously?! Maybe they've got Fushiguro's favourite brand of coffee too, then! Don't think he can live without black coffee, haha.
( priorities. also exaggeration... it's probably isn't even fushiguro's favourite, it's just convenient. yuuji's completely ignoring the fact that monts might not even know who he's referring to, smh.
he puts in more snacks to his basket as they go, even if the looming thought of having to pay it back someday is kinda eerie. surely it isn't anything like a blood pact or some shit like that... right? these shouldn't be expensive, he thinks through what he put in! then again, she did mention how it's 'definitely dangerous' here. and the flood. )
Say, you said somethin' about the flood that never happened... what was that about?
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Her face lights up when she hears him mention Fushigoro, but she addresses his question about the flood first.]
The flood was a result of a botched collective wish of everyone wishing to go home from what I gather. I'm not that solid on the details, but it was about three days of people attempting to stay afloat.
[Anyway, back to the man of the hour.]
Did you mention Fushigoro? Megumi? Do you know him?
[Although she calls him by his family name, Monts knows there is probably no one else who happens to have his unique given name.]
If that's the right one, I'll have you know, I'm slowly going to make sure he knows what good coffee drinks are.
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Ah. Mm, that's the one! Fushiguro's my classmate. So you know him too!
( and now he's beaming wide. from how monts puts it, it seems like they get along well, and yuuji is really glad for that! fushiguro may not be the friendliest guy in the block, but he's actually a super duper nice guy when you get to know him better. that probably doesn't need to be said, since it sounds like monts knows that already. )
Heeh! Are you a coffee expert or somethin'? He always drinks instant ones, doesn't he?
( yuuji puts the instant coffee packet that he was holding back to the rack, turning to look at monts. )
Which one do you recommend?
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[She picks out a bag of beans and looks it over while explaining to Yuuji.]
There's a lot more I could learn about it, but in general, I go with whole beans and grind them myself. There should be an expiration date because if there isn't, well, then you won't know when it'll go bad. Small batches of coffee beans are expensive, but tend to have good flavors because it was roasted with care.
I don't have a coffee pot or machine in the cottage I'm staying in, so i just brew small batches at a time. How do you like your coffee?
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Heeeh! There sure's a lot goin' with coffee, huh? I don't really drink it so I've never really thought 'bout it. Hmm... Black's prolly a bit too bitter for me, so maybe some sugar? milk? creamer? would be nice, haha!
( latte? cappuccino? americano? espresso? he can't tell the difference... )
Oh, Fushiguro likes his black, by the way! He's such a grown-up...
( there's absolutely no connection between maturity and your coffee preference, but it is true that fushiguro is also a 16 going 60, lmao.
oh— speaking of fushiguro! )
Say, I wanna see how you do your coffee! Maybe I can learn more about it too, that way! ( but he'll feel bad making her do it for free, since she's an actual barista and all... ) I'll cook for you in exchange! What do you think?
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[Monts is a little surprised that Yuuji can cook, but on second thought, it's not that outlandish. It just means he's a capable kid.]
Well... You know what? Sure. I think that's a good exchange. It won't take too long for me to prepare your drink in the meanwhile.
[Guess who's been making cold brew at home!!]
I have everything I need from here. Think you're done? We'll just head over to my cottage to get started with lunch then.
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( he's shining brighter than ever now that their exchange has been finalised! it's not like yuuji is top-tier chef or anything like that, but he can probably show her how to cook certain dishes she's never tried out before. )
Alright, it's decided! Ah, before we go-- what do you wanna learn? Maybe some Japanese dishes you've never tried making before? I'll get some ingredients for that, too!
( and then they can nyoom over to her place! )
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[In California, there's a good amount of Japanese restaurants that specialize in popular things like sushi and ramen. She's tried those already and it's not something she'd ask of Yuuji. Too labor intensive. There was one dish she remembers overhearing about and it seemed delicious...]
Can you make a beef bowl? I think it's called "gyudon?" Something like that?
I heard it was something you can eat with a softboiled egg too. It sounds very filling.
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( he'll zoom off to find some beef ribs, onions, and beni shouga to drop on his basket. he's got all the other condiments down earlier on, so they're good to go-- oh wait! he almost forgot about rice! since he's probably gonna use it for stepford cottage, too, might as well get the big sack. so up it goes over his shoulder!
without even questioning the existence of a rice cooker here, he's already headed towards the cashier counter with confident, excited steps. )
Ready to go?
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Wow... Young people still have a lot of energy these days, huh?
[Monts you're only twenty-one god]
I'm ready to go. I don't have a rice cooker, but I know how to cook it without one. It's not too hard as long as you keep an eye on it.
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